Kompany Malakhi is one of the most innovative, progressive and exciting inter-disciplinary companies in the UK today, producing high quality work that is informed by, and for today’s sophisticated audiences, who are in search of something new, exciting and relevant.

Established in 1994 by its Artistic Director Kwesi Johnson, Kompany Malakhi was created because of Johnson’s desire to combine the theatre forms and dance styles that have been influential in his career to date.

Kwesi Johnson is inspired by a wealth of cultural, musical and artistic forms that reflect the UK's diverse society. This fuels the passion at the heart of the company which is to bring *vernacular culture to the theatre, and theatre to urban environments. The work draws on dance/movement styles such as Physical Theatre, Funkstyles, Hip Hop Culture as well as Contemporary Dance, Urban British Jazz Dance and Capoeira. These styles are effortlessly synthesised with spoken word and film to create a totally unique performance style.

The company is committed to attracting new audiences by extending its work beyond formal theatre spaces, cross-fertilising commercial and theatrical worlds, and developing a stronger inclusive relationship between audiences and performers.

The word Malakhi can be interpreted as ‘messenger’. This represents Johnson’s passion for creating and presenting imaginative narratives in performance that often hold a message, meaning and substance.

Through Johnson’s direction the company creates forward thinking work that is of high quality. For example Johnson creates work that is heavily influenced by Hip Hop Culture and presents it in an abstract, but accessible form. He also creates commercial style performances suitable for music video or film. He also presents work using Physical Theatre with poetry or at site specific locations. His vision is focused and his ideas are vast.

*Vernacular The everyday language of the people in a particular country or region, as opposed to official or formal language.

Vision Statement

Mission Statement

To make our name synonymous with:

Key strategic objectives

Values

What the Papers Say about Kompany Malakhi

“Kwesi Johnson’s Kompany Malakhi brings the most innovative and interactive
theatre that London has seen in eons to the stage……. truly compelling”
The New Nation

“Definitely worth seeing….Kompany Malakhi is set to be a dance force to be
reckoned with….”
Newcastle Journal

“A must for contemporary fans and novices alike”
Metro North East

"Johnson's body became jazz music"
The New Nation

“Challenges perceptions of culture and gender, blurring the lines between dance and theatre”
The Voice

“Hunt them Down” - "Cheeky emphatic and totally off the wall"
Dance Europe

Kwesi's first experiences of dance were through B Boyin and Funkstyles, and then Urban British Jazz Dance or Be Bop as it is sometimes called. He then went on to train professionally at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD ), where he graduated in 1991. During his time at NSCD he trained in ballet, contemporary dance (Graham technique) and choreography. He also trained independently in capoeira, urban dance forms and has experience in Afrikan and Caribbean dance. 

He had three main goals before he graduated, and they were to work with, in no order of priority, Lloyd Newson, Black Mime Theatre and Phoenix Dance Theatre. Each of these companies had a very strong and distinct identity and style. By 1994 he had achieved all three goals, which is a testament to his versatility and focus. His training and professional experience to this point, had given him a huge resource of movement and styles to draw on. Kwesi was eager to express this, so in 1994 he created Kompany Malakhi, after receiving his first commission for a solo piece called, Searching for a Shaman. This was when his distinct style began to take shape by synthesising vernacular and contemporary dance styles, spoken word and film. It was a perfect marriage of the styles he had been exposed to, to this point in his career. He coined the phrase ‘Griographer’ to best describe his approach to making dance and physical theatre.  ‘Griot’ being an Afrikan story teller/social commentator who utilises many art forms to tell stories and pass on history,they do not seperate dance. theatre , words etc, the components make a whole, like rhythm, melody and dynamics make music, and grapher from choreographer, being someone who creates movement.

After the commission for Searching for a Shaman, Kwesi continued to absorb ideas and concepts. Whilst continuing to develop his style he performed and taught internationally, with companies such as CandoCo Dance Company, Badejo Arts, The Hittite Empire/LIFT, Irie and Companie Duroure.  His choreographic credits include the opening ceremony of the 1991 Olympic Conference; Black Mime Theatre; Boston City Lights (U.S.A); Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival, South Africa; London Bubble Theatre Company; the Southwark Playhouse. For Kompany Malakhi he has created Under the Influence 2000/01, Fuzion 2001/02, the sell out tour of A Hip Hopstory in 2003, Single Reflex 2004, Body Language 2005, A Hip Hopstory 'The Remix' 2006 and Boxin in 2007.